I just retired today

Deepseeker, I used to go hunting and have actually laid in poison ivy/oak many times. Once or twice I remember getting a little red bump on my face or arm, but never more than that. Then in the early 1990s I was at an old warehouse taking a part out of an old gas pump. The pump was on the outside and a lot of weeds, etc. was around it. This was in the middle of winter. It was cold enough that I was wearing a pair of insulated coveralls. I scratched my wrist on the stem of some poison ivy/oak that was growing through the old 'gutted' pump. After leaving, I noticed the scratch; but didn't even bleed. Just a scratch. Then, later, I started itching. The next day I had some whelps. Then I had to go to the doctor because my arm from the wrist to elbow was solid itchy, burning, and had blisters all over it. It looked a lot worse than it felt. I looked worse than some sci-fi make up I've seen! It took about 10 or 12 days for the arm to look like it might be 'salvageable'. I still have scar, almost an inch long, from that little, bitty scratch.
I say poison ivy/oak because I can never remember which is which. lol
I asked the doctor why all of a sudden I'm allergic to the stuff. He said there were two things that might have caused this. One was age; I was in my early 50s. The other was that in the winter, the poison was much more potent. I also asked if I would get I would get infected every time I got close to it from now on. He said only experimenting would tell. I'm not doing that!
My sis was on a school field trip. They were walking on a farm-to-market road looking at/for something. There was some growing on the fence several yards from where she was. She spent about 4 days in the hospital with her eyes swollen shut and the rest of her body almost as bad.
 

Ah TR, once again a post I can't "Like" :)

Age huh? That's what I was figuring.... Lot's of the stuff on the farm. I'll have to fight with that. Even if I use weed killer and kill it, can't dispose of it! Best I can figure it would still be poisonous until it just rotted completely away. Worst part about it is that it covers the old flat stone and mud chimney which belonged to the third house on the property, somewhere around 1803, behind me in this picture ~ 1952. Granny sold the logs off the house around 1961.....

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Just now saw this thread. Congrats on your retirement. I had to retire early at 54 and the worst part is being bored out of my skull some days. If you have people around it's not so bad but sitting here talking to the bird gets old. Stay busy and good luck with those yellow jackets.
 

Darned hard to like that Chris! When I was a kid I could rub that all over me and watch my brother get it, and I didn't. I guess this is payback! I should start a new thread, Chronicles of the Retired, or Adventures in the Wilderness.... Now, next Spring after about 40 years of subscriptions to Mother Earth News, I was figuring on feeding myself and being self sufficient! We'll see how that goes...

I never had poison ivy till I was 21,that's when I started MDin,digging early spring..drinking beer...takin a pee or 2,next morning I guess you know the rest of the story..sure had to walk bow legged for a spell.

Now all I have to do is look at it!!!:tongue3:
 

Deep, when in my younger days living on the orchard I used to get it real bad....my grandmother would scrub it with homemade lye soap and it would disappear in no time....the scars lasted a little longer:-\:-\:sad1::sad1:
 

DO NOT burn the poison oak, ivy, sumac, etc as the smoke, "as fumes" can STILL get on you/in your lungs. "Google" Getting Rid of Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac Plants/Vines... in WINTER.
 

DO NOT burn the poison oak, ivy, sumac, etc as the smoke, "as fumes" can STILL get on you/in your lungs. "Google" Getting Rid of Poison Oak/Ivy/Sumac Plants/Vines... in WINTER.

Yeah, I knew not to burn it! I'll do the google thing!
 

Wow! Congratulations. I hope to retire one day. It is doubtful though.
 

Ah TR, once again a post I can't "Like" :)

Age huh? That's what I was figuring.... Lot's of the stuff on the farm. I'll have to fight with that. Even if I use weed killer and kill it, can't dispose of it! Best I can figure it would still be poisonous until it just rotted completely away. Worst part about it is that it covers the old flat stone and mud chimney which belonged to the third house on the property, somewhere around 1803, behind me in this picture ~ 1952. Granny sold the logs off the house around 1961.....

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Looks like me, when I was 5; "google" Deposing Poisonous Plants & Vines...
 

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Looks like me, when I was 5; "google" Deposing Poisonous plants & Vines...

Thanks! Like I know the difference!!! I've been a big city boy too long. Looks like what I have is NOT Poison Oak, it is Poison Ivy. Focusing on getting it off that chimney is going to be a major undertaking. Maybe I need to call Hazmat!
 

Thanks! Like I know the difference!!! I've been a big city boy too long. Looks like what I have is NOT Poison Oak, it is Poison Ivy. Focusing on getting it off that chimney is going to be a major undertaking. Maybe I need to call Hazmat!

Watch out for OLD Hornets Nests inside that chimney... OLDER brother had to cut down some poison ivy from OLD Home Place in Shenandoah Valley (that was haunted); he did it in WINTER, when ppl don't sweat as much... a BOY SCOUT "thing". FUNNY thing is... when he was going to UVA, he started dating the county sheriff's daughter. Being naughty, they "tumbled" in the grass/weeds... got POISON IVY all over themselves! BOTH, butt-nekked; her daddy gave her ....; MY dad gave my older brother ....; LOL! They STOPPED dating. We were cleaning out the attic, and found her picture... HA! He threw it away... his wife would NOT be amused. '64 hair-style... HA!
 

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Deep, to remove from the chimney, using gloves, cut the vines at the base of the chimney...let the leaves and vines dry up and in a couple of days, again wearing gloves pull the dead vines down...when the young vines appear again in the spring, spray with "weed be Gone", or Round-up poison Ivy killer...that will go down and kill the roots....good luck....Gary
 

Congrats on your retirement ,now you have time to sit around and scratch your poison ivy! Seriously though,my husband retired a little early and he is so glad he did. Too often people wait to get their full benefits and get sick and are not able to enjoy it. Life is way too short so enjoy it while you can.
 

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Poison Oak - yella jackets - - - - -

You sure you don't have some guilt at collecting SS checks and not working? :laughing7:

Maybe it's a form of Entertainment Tax!
 

Deep, to remove from the chimney, using gloves, cut the vines at the base of the chimney...let the leaves and vines dry up and in a couple of days, again wearing gloves pull the dead vines down...when the young vines appear again in the spring, spray with "weed be Gone", or Round-up poison Ivy killer...that will go down and kill the roots....good luck....Gary

Wait for FROST this Fall/Winter to kill ivy leaves; if pulling down dried up vines from old chimney, watch out for falling bricks. Those vines can dig in... I would call Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) in Stuart, Va. (276)694-3341, to send someone out to your place to review & advise. Those guys/gals have RURAL experience with plants, ivies, etc.; NO cost to you on R & A, to my knowledge. Check FROST date(s) for YOUR area; mine is soon. Wear boots, LONG sleeves shirt/pants/gloves, etc. HARD HAT, too! LOL! Wash shirt/pants & gloves ASAP.
 

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I am home now, two months of moving and all is done today. A full day of cleaning to return to landlord - and who's he going to get to pay the rent on time month after month = they'll miss me?

And me? I'm home now, for the remainder of my days = barring the unforeseen of course!

Setting up the wood stove tomorrow! The FREEZE is coming for the weekend here.
 

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